hover sideways

No this is not a how-to article! But if you fly helis the day will come, sooner or later, when you are going to have a crash. Depending on your temperament (and possibly even financial situation) this may be a big deal or just one of those things. But one thing is for certain, you will have a crash. In fact, some argue, at least for 3D flyers, that if you do not have the occasional crash you are not pushing yourself hard enough and are actually retarding your learning curve. (more…)

Align’s T-Rex 450SE v2 is an outstanding helicopter. The beginner may wish to start with the cheaper SE model or even the pre-built SA ARF, but the 450SE v2 includes every optional upgrade part you could ever want and getting it means you will not have to bother upgrading your helicopter later.

The kit includes almost everything you will need, including a single Align 3S 2100mAh 22c LiPo, except for servos, gyro, and a receiver, all packaged in a nice padded aluminum case that you can use later to carry equipment to the field (do not confuse this with the much larger aluminum 450 heli case you can purchase separately). Building the v2 is very straightforward; It comes mostly pre-assembled in major sub assemblies. You should remove any screws that go into metal and apply thread lock to them. (more…)